Hi all,

Anyone here got a Bridgeport? I need to know how to hook it up
electrically so rather more than just the spindle goes round.

TIA, cd.

"Cursitor Doom" wrote in message ...

Hi all,

Anyone here got a Bridgeport? I need to know how to hook it up
electrically so rather more than just the spindle goes round.

TIA, cd.


More info needed. I assume that you have 3 phase? The J headed Bridgeport
Mill used various power feeds but they were an option - do you have one?
Various head motors, some low profile 'pancake' and some taller normal,
some dual speed, and some not were fitted, what have you? Do you have the
manual with wiring diagram? The contactors for the various options including
the optional rear mounted head, are all in the box screwed to the right hand
side of the column. From the way you have posed the question I assume that
you have the spindle running? Ther power to the various options is switched
by toggle switches on the front box at knee height, with the main start
button and emergency off button.

Andrew

On Wed, 12 Nov 2014 14:32:34 +0000, Andrew Mawson wrote:

More info needed. I assume that you have 3 phase?

Thanks, Andrew. Yeah, I got a phase converter more than up to the task.
Haven't got the spindle running yet though; got to reconfig the motor
control box for star/delta first so it'll go happily on 230/3ph.

The J headed
Bridgeport Mill used various power feeds but they were an option - do
you have one? Various head motors, some low profile 'pancake' and some
taller normal, some dual speed, and some not were fitted, what have you?

The motor is quite a monster; certainly no pancake. There's a secondary
mtr control box with a choice of 2 speeds mounted next to the main one.
And it doesn't have the multiple belts but rather infinitely variable
speeds indicated by tortoise/hare motifs; you get the picture no doubt.

Do you have the manual with wiring diagram? The contactors for the
various options including the optional rear mounted head, are all in the
box screwed to the right hand side of the column. From the way you have
posed the question I assume that you have the spindle running? Ther
power to the various options is switched by toggle switches on the front
box at knee height, with the main start button and emergency off button.

Those control boxes are f*cked; they're lying with semi-severed cables at
odd angles around the main support pillar.
Rather than pester you for step-by-step instructions, can you point me to
a site where UK users have hooked up these things to fire on all
cylinders? That would save an awful lot of to-ing and fro-ing for us both.
cheers, cd.

"Cursitor Doom" wrote in message ...

On Wed, 12 Nov 2014 14:32:34 +0000, Andrew Mawson wrote:

More info needed. I assume that you have 3 phase?

Thanks, Andrew. Yeah, I got a phase converter more than up to the task.
Haven't got the spindle running yet though; got to reconfig the motor
control box for star/delta first so it'll go happily on 230/3ph.

The J headed
Bridgeport Mill used various power feeds but they were an option - do
you have one? Various head motors, some low profile 'pancake' and some
taller normal, some dual speed, and some not were fitted, what have you?

The motor is quite a monster; certainly no pancake. There's a secondary
mtr control box with a choice of 2 speeds mounted next to the main one.
And it doesn't have the multiple belts but rather infinitely variable
speeds indicated by tortoise/hare motifs; you get the picture no doubt.

Do you have the manual with wiring diagram? The contactors for the
various options including the optional rear mounted head, are all in the
box screwed to the right hand side of the column. From the way you have
posed the question I assume that you have the spindle running? Ther
power to the various options is switched by toggle switches on the front
box at knee height, with the main start button and emergency off button.

Those control boxes are f*cked; they're lying with semi-severed cables at
odd angles around the main support pillar.
Rather than pester you for step-by-step instructions, can you point me to
a site where UK users have hooked up these things to fire on all
cylinders? That would save an awful lot of to-ing and fro-ing for us both.
cheers, cd.




I'm guessing that you probably mean that you have an inverter rather than a
phase converter if you are having to convert to 230 v / delta. I'm pretty
certain that all the contactors will have 415v coils so you are making it
hard for yourself going that route. The two speed motor sadly is rarely
happy either on an inverter or static phase converter, though I did run mine
satisfactorily on a Transwave rotary converter at my last place. Don't
forget the suds pump will need sorting which ever way you jump.

If you google about a bit you'll find the manual on line as a .pdf but if
you are unsuccessful drop me an email (de-munge the reply address) and I'll
send you a copy.

Andrew

On Wed, 12 Nov 2014 17:42:54 +0000, Andrew Mawson wrote:

I'm guessing that you probably mean that you have an inverter rather
than a phase converter if you are having to convert to 230 v / delta.
I'm pretty certain that all the contactors will have 415v coils so you
are making it hard for yourself going that route. The two speed motor
sadly is rarely happy either on an inverter or static phase converter,
though I did run mine satisfactorily on a Transwave rotary converter at
my last place. Don't forget the suds pump will need sorting which ever
way you jump.

The inverter/converter (to me an "inverter" is something that takes a low
DC power source like 12v from a boat or car and outputs 230vAC). This box
I have takes 230vAC single phase in and outputs 230vAC 3-phase. Whatever
the terminology, that's what it does.
I've already got the .pdf manual off the net; just curious about other UK
users' experiences in wiring it up off our mains.
Won't be using the suds pump; the cuts I'll be taking will be light
ones. :-) It was more the table feed motor I was keen to get working.
Seems to have a variable speed gearbox plus infinite range per gear as
well.
cheers, cd.


If you google about a bit you'll find the manual on line as a .pdf but
if you are unsuccessful drop me an email (de-munge the reply address)
and I'll send you a copy.

Andrew

"Cursitor Doom" wrote in message ...

On Wed, 12 Nov 2014 17:42:54 +0000, Andrew Mawson wrote:

I'm guessing that you probably mean that you have an inverter rather
than a phase converter if you are having to convert to 230 v / delta.
I'm pretty certain that all the contactors will have 415v coils so you
are making it hard for yourself going that route. The two speed motor
sadly is rarely happy either on an inverter or static phase converter,
though I did run mine satisfactorily on a Transwave rotary converter at
my last place. Don't forget the suds pump will need sorting which ever
way you jump.



The inverter/converter (to me an "inverter" is something that takes a low
DC power source like 12v from a boat or car and outputs 230vAC). This box
I have takes 230vAC single phase in and outputs 230vAC 3-phase. Whatever
the terminology, that's what it does.



I'm not going to bother arguing semantics with you life is too short, but:

A/ an 'inverter' inverts DC to produce AC - in the case of the one that you
have, it will almost certainty rectify the mains to a DC level, and 'invert'
that using three 'half H bridges' to produce quasi AC three phase and
probably allows you to alter the frequency.

C/ conventionally in hobbyist machine tool circles a 'Phase Converter'
refers to a static arrangement of transformer and phase shifting capacitor
bank that reacting with the inductance of a motor produces a third phase, so
three phase but at the same frequency as your mains

D/ a Rotary Converter (in this arena) refers to what essentially is a static
phase converter, but uses a specially wound motor to act as the transformer
(240 to 415) and also the reactance to generate in this case a third phase
more accurately at 120 degrees to the other.

They all have their application - I have used examples of all three and
thinking about it still have examples of all three.

I do however agree that out of the context of hobby machine tools your
estimation of what an inverter is is a fair one. Context is everything

Good luck with your installation - I hope that you get it working. The dual
speed motor will be your bugbear.


Andrew

A/ an 'inverter' inverts DC to produce AC - in the case of the one that
you have, it will almost certainty rectify the mains to a DC level, and
'invert'
that using three 'half H bridges' to produce quasi AC three phase and
probably allows you to alter the frequency.

C/ conventionally in hobbyist machine tool circles a 'Phase Converter'
refers to a static arrangement of transformer and phase shifting
capacitor bank that reacting with the inductance of a motor produces a
third phase, so three phase but at the same frequency as your mains

D/ a Rotary Converter (in this arena) refers to what essentially is a
static phase converter, but uses a specially wound motor to act as the
transformer (240 to 415) and also the reactance to generate in this case
a third phase more accurately at 120 degrees to the other.

They all have their application - I have used examples of all three and
thinking about it still have examples of all three.

I do however agree that out of the context of hobby machine tools your
estimation of what an inverter is is a fair one. Context is everything


Good luck with your installation - I hope that you get it working. The
dual speed motor will be your bugbear.

Cheers for the good wishes.
I could have used your explanation about converters/inverters/
rotarywhatnots a couple of years ago; couldn't find an explanation so
clear and concise anywhere else on the net!